Device for attaching leads to line wires



Oct. 8, 1935. E. A; vMACK f 2,016,749 DEVICE FOR ATTACHNG LEADS T0 LINE'WIRES Filed April 8, 1953 Patented Oct. 8, 1935 PATENT OFFICE 2,016,749 DEVICE FOR ATTACHING LEADS T LINE `WIRES Edward A. Mack, Huntington, W. Va., assignor to Memco Engineering & Manufacturing Co., Inc., Long Island City, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application Aprile, 1933, serial No. 665,181 s claims. (ci. :a1-5a) Thisinvention relates to devices for attaching temporary leadsv to ordinarily inaccessible electric lines.

Line work often requires running a temporary lead to an elevated line. To effect this quickly and conveniently, one `end of a lead wire is frequently connected to clamping jaws mounted on the end of a pole of appropriate length to bring the vlead wire carrying jaws into gripping position with the line.

The present invention aims to improve existing constructions for such line work and generally stated, takes the form of line wire gripping jaws having a lead wire connected to one of the jaws, the jaws being adapted to be locked to the end of a pole of suitable reach, the rotation of the pole relative to one of the jaws hooked over the line, causing the jaws to open or close and grip or release the line.

More specically stated, the invention comprises line gripping jaws, one of which is in threaded engagement with a bolt; the bolt head being locked to the end of a pole of suitable length by partial rotation of the head with respect to a polygonal opening through which the bolt head is passed, while the other jaw idles on the shank of they bolt and by end thrust frictionally locks the jaws in gripping position until released by sufficient rotational pressure to overcome the friction lock.

While one embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawing accompanying this application and forming part thereof, it is to be understood that such embodiment is merely illustrative of the underlying principles of the invention so as to afford a clear understanding thereof to those skilled in the art and is not intended as limiting the invention to the specific form disclosed therein.

In the said drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing the jaws in open position with one jaw hooked over a line Wire,

Fig. 2 is a partly fragmentary vertical section showing the jaws in gripping position,

Fig. 3 is an end elevation partly in section, and

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Continuing now by way of a more detailed description, a reach pole A formed of any suitable material but preferably having a handling section of insulating material, is capped by a sleeve or housing B. One end of sleeve B is conveniently fitted to a reduced end A to which it may b'e permanently pinned in any convenient manner, as, for example, by a transverse pin or rivet C, while the other end of the sleeve B affords a recess for housing an extensile spring D. .One end, of spring D abutsagainst a transverse wall Df formed in the sleeve B, while the other end rides against one end of a rotatable locking mem- 5 ber E which slides longitudinally in the sleeve B and is normally pressed upwardly by spring D. One end of the spring D is held against displacement by a centering boss E formed at the lower end of the rotatable member E. A polyhedric recess E for receiving a bolt head to be described, is formed in the upper end of member E. The member E has one or more radially disposed operable iins or lugs F for manually rotating it, the ns being movable in the clearance provided between the upstanding ends G. In order to confine the spring pushed member E within the sleeve B, an end plate H is riveted or otherwise secured to the upstanding ends G and has a polygonal opening J conveniently, although not necessarily, conforming to the shape of a bolt head K adapted to be passed in inverted position through the opening J and into the seating recess E" formed in the spring pressed rotatable member E. The top of the bolt head when seated is located below the level of the top plate. In order to hold the member E in various angular rotational positions, it has one or more upstanding nibs J adapted to lock with indents J" forming lan arrangement for latching the member E to plate H. The bolt head K has a shank L extending through opening J and one end of the shank is in threaded engagement with jaw M, the latter having a laterally projecting guide hook M', adapted to be initially hooked 35 over a line wire M" to guide the line wire to proper position for gripping. A 'slight downward pressure on the reach pole prevents rotation oi the jaw M when the threaded shank L of the bolt is rotated by rotation of the pole. Conveni- 40 ently formed with jaw M and oppositely disposed to the hook M', a clamping plate N is secured to an inclined face, preferably cast with the jaw M to lock one end of a lead wire P in place, the inclined arrangement of clamping plate and face throwing the free end of the lead away from the pole. The lead wire clamping plate N may be held in position in any convenient manner, as, for instance, by the clamping screws R. In order to prevent the lower jaw member S from rotating with respect to the upper jaw M, which is prevented from rotating by the hook being pressed on the line wire as heretofore indicated, the lower jaw S is slidably keyed at S to the upper jaw M and is loosely fitted on the bolt shank. To prevent separation of jaw S from the shank, it is keyed to an annular groove S" formed interily understood.

When it is desired to connect the lead wire P to the line wire M", the bolt head K is passed through the end plate H of reach pole A and seated in recess E". Lateral pressure is then applied to the wings G to rotate the member E together with the bolt head K. The corners of the bolt head no longer conform to the opening J in the end plate H and in this latched position of the member E, cannot separate from the end of the reach pole A. The end of the reach pole A having the attached unit is then raised until the hook M is hooked over the line wire M", the pole A is rotated with a downward pull, causing the jaws to advance toward each other to grip the line wire M". Longitudinal motion of the yjaw S being arrested by abutment against line wire M, the end thrust against the lock washer T and collar T prevent the jaws from opening except on dennite pressure and the connection established through lead wire P may be used as desired. To release the jaws, the reach pole A is rotated in reverse direction.

I claim:

1. A stick for use in devices for temporarily attaching leads to line wires comprising a manipulating pole having a sleeve fitted on one end thereof, the sleeve having a plurality of projecting ends, an end plate secured to the projecting ends and having a polygonal opening, and a rotatable member in the sleeve having a polyhedrical recess coaxial with the plate opening, the rotatable member having manually operable fins projecting between the projecting ends, and the plate and end of the sleeve to rotate the rotatable member relatively to the plate.

2. A stick for use in devices for temporarily attaching leads to line wires comprising a manipulating pole having a sleeve fitted on one end thereof, the sleeve having a plurality of projecting ends, a ilat end plate secured to theI projecting ends and having a polygonal opening, a rotatable member in the sleeve having a polyhedrical recess coaxial with the plate opening, and a spring bearing against one face of the rotatable locking member to normally press the rotatable member against the end plate, the rotatable member having manually operable outwardly projecting fins to rotate the member relatively to the plate.

3. A stick for use in devices for temporarily attaching leads to line wires comprising a manipulating pole having a sleeve tted on one end thereoi, the sleeve having a plurality of projecting ends, a ilat end plate secured to the projecting 11 ends and having a polygonal opening, a rotatable member in the sleeve having a polyhedrical recess coaxial with the plate opening and an axially located spring centering boss at the opposite end, and a spring having one end centered by the boss 1; and bearing against one face vof the rotatable locking member to normally press the rotatable member against the end plate, the rotatable member having manually operable outwardly projecting iins to rotate the member relatively to the 2( plate.

4. Astick for use in devices for temporarily attaching leads to line Wires comprising a manipulating pole having a reduced end, a sleeve tted on the reduced end having a transverse partition 25 resting on the pole end and having a plurality of upstanding ends, a fiat end plate secured to the upstanding ends having locking indents on one face thereof and an axial polygonal opening, a rotatable member in the sleeve having a polyhe- 30 drical recess coaxial with the plate opening and projecting ribs formed on the end of the rotatable member to engage the indents of the plate to lock the rotatable member in rotated position, an axially located spring centering boss 'at the 35 opposite end of the rotatable member, and a spring having one end centered by the boss and bearing against one face of the rotatable-member and the other end bearing against the transverse partition of the sleeve to normally press the ro- 40 tatable member against the end plate, the rotatable member having manually operable iins projecting beyond the sleeve for rotating the rotatable member relatively to the plate.

5. A stick for use in devices for temporarily at- 45 taching leads to line wires comprising a manipulating pole having a sleeve on one end thereof, the sleeve having a plurality of projecting ends, an end plate secured to the projecting ends and having an opening ,`a rotatable locking member 50 in the sleeve having a recess of non-circular cross-section adapted to register with the plate opening and having av manually operable outwardly projecting iin between the projecting ends.

EDWARD A. MACK. 55 

